Casting one last glance at the charming old streets and striking neo-Gothic buildings in Bucharest, I took a brisk stroll, with a heavy backpack strapped to my shoulder, slowly navigating my way to the train station. From there, I was about to embark on a long-haul overnight journey to Istanbul. Having walked incessantly for days in Bucharest, I was looking forward to long hours of doing nothing at all, just sitting still on the train and getting … [Read more...]
Feast or Forage: New Brunswick, Canada Serves Up Hands-On Food Excursions
Travelers can harvest sturgeon and caviar, forage for fiddleheads, meet the farmers and fishermen at local night markets, and more. NEW BRUNSWICK (July 15, 2019) – Immersive culinary excursions in New Brunswick, Canada offer travelers a new way to taste and experience the local cuisine. The Atlantic Canada province, located just north of the U.S. border of Maine, is surrounded by water, and rich in wildlife and vibrant cities. Seafood is only … [Read more...]
British and American passports slide down global rankings as 2019 index is published
British and American passport holders may be concerned to hear that the value of their passports has slipped down the global rankings, with both citizenships sliding a number of places in the 2019 Nomad Passport Index. According to the annual research carried out by the leading offshore consulting firm Nomad Capitalist, Luxembourg citizens have the best passport in the world for the second year running. Its citizens are able to travel to 186 … [Read more...]
People I met on the Romanian train ride – Part 1
Travelling by train is an easy and affordable way to see Romania as the country offers an extensive rail network connecting all major cities and towns. Its official website https://www.cfrcalatori.ro/ provides comprehensive train timetables and fare information. During my visit to Romania, I chose train as my means of transportation to whisk me from one city to the other. The experience was both exhilarating and intimidating to me. Why does it … [Read more...]
Pow Wow of the Northern Cree
"Under the reflection of the northern lights, we see the head of Ciiwetinustikwaan, the man of the north." - saying of the Northern Cree After days of adventure travel in the Saguenay-Lac-St Jean area come to a close, I let my fingers meander across the map to find my next would-be destination. This is actually one my of favorite activities: simply pick a remote location on a map and make my way there, never really knowing what I’ll find. I … [Read more...]
Santa Fe, New Mexico: Explore The Arts
Santa Fe and art go together like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. This northern New Mexico town has been attracting artists for decades. Like magnets, they are drawn to the magical light, turquoise sky and starkly stunning landscape. Galleries galore and top-notch museums attract art appreciators like bees to honey. Georgia O’Keeffe was deeply inspired by Santa Fe. At her namesake museum, you’ll find plenty of examples of her sensual, … [Read more...]
Maintaining a List of 5,000+ In English Domain Name Travel Blog Directory
When travel blogging started to slowly take off in 2005/2006 I created a separate category for it in my already existing links directory - I added a links directory to my site in the late 1990's although it was much smaller and all html coded by hand back then. It gives me a way to keep track and reference when I need to - on a large scale - the many different facets of the travel industry. It is impressive how many travel blogs there are and … [Read more...]
Romanian Castles – January 2015
For a beautiful escape from Bucharest, especially in the heat of summer - drive about 2.5 hours to Transylvania - up in the Carpathian mountains and spend some time enjoying and touring Peles Castle. The castle built to be a summer residence and was inaugurated in 1883. It was home to the King and Queen of Romania - eventually it was closed during the Communist period - but reopened in 1990. Guided tours are available daily and take one … [Read more...]
Trekking in the Tian Shan Mountains above Song Kul Lake, Kyrgyzstan
Waking up early this morning after a restless sleep, I watched the sun rise and I also watched one of the ladies milk several cows. The splish splash of milk from one teat to the next into a metal pail reminded me of the last time I saw this - in a small village in Romania. I have been battling a nasty flu and subsequent cold and ultimately a back breaking cough the past three weeks. A cough that is so spasmodic at times, fellow travelers … [Read more...]
Foreign Funeral – Heartbreak in a Romanian Village
Our arms interlocked tightly at the elbow. We stared downward in the chilly, quiet living room when an improbable question broke the silence. “Did you touch her yet?” my wife, Oana, asked as tears streaked down her high cheekbones. “She’s still warm.” Mama Ana, as she was known, my wife’s 82-year-old grandmother, died hours earlier in her small, century-old stone farmhouse in the Romanian countryside. We journeyed 7,000 miles from … [Read more...]